IN A world of increasing uncertainty, good news has a particular allure. So it is unsurprising that studies finding that rising carbon dioxide emissions are boosting plant life have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Some people even go as far as to use this so-called CO_2 fertilisation effect as evidence that an uptick in plants could mitigate the effects of climate change. Is there any truth to it? Firstly, the studies these claims are based on are far from "fake news". They are well-designed and often reflect a long-established scientific consensus. As CO_2 is one of the essential inputs of photosynthesis, the process by which plants harness solar energy to grow, increasing its availability can indeed boost the process.
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